Hot on the heels of the hottest year on record, the Climate Council has released a report showing how Australia can slash pollution by 75 per cent this decade and maximise clean energy.
The Seize the decade report proposes supercharging solar, wind and storage to build a bigger electricity system and reach 94 per cent of renewable energy in Australia’s grid by 2030;
It recommends putting solar panels on the rooftops of two in three Australian homes (24 gigawatts) to help drive down the cost of living;
It also supports using clean energy and readily-available alternatives in the nation’s industrial processes to cut industrial use of coal by 41per cent, oil by 86 per cent and gas by 31 per cent.
Climate Council CEO, Amanda McKenzie, said there is no safe level of climate pollution.
“Australian communities are being hurled from flooding rains to scorching heatwaves to deadly fires, and back again. We understand more clearly than ever that life as we know it is under threat, and we must slash climate pollution this decade,” she said.
“We can seize the decade and drive down climate pollution by electrifying our nation and building out a modern industrial base that underpins our prosperity for generations to come.
“Solutions that work across every part of our economy are proven, available, underway and ready to be scaled up. There can be no excuses for failing to protect our children’s future.”
Climate councillor and energy expert, Tim Nelson, said Australia’s shift to a clean economy is underway but it is time to quicken the pace or get left behind.
“This report shows how Australia can capitalise on our world-beating renewable resources and industry know-how to supercharge our momentum, make more things here and set our economy up for long-term success,” he said.